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Water pump: replacement and selection

When and why it is necessary to replace water pump

Average operational lifetime of the part is 150 000 – 200 000 kilometers of car mileage. Premature replacement of the component can be caused by free play or jamming of the bearing, erosion of the impeller, destruction or deformation of the shaft, appearance of cracks or cavitation holes on the casing, severe corrosion.

Defectiveness of the pump is mostly caused by damaging of its seal or gasket. During this cooling liquid gets on the bearings and washes grease from them, as a result, they break down fast. Improper installation of the drive belts is also the cause of pump damaging.

As a rule, oxidation of pump elements is the result of use of poor-quality cooling liquid. Damaging of the sealed cover can be the cause for corrosion. This leads to appearance of air bubbles, promoting appearance of corrosive damage. And mechanical damages of the automotive water pump can occur due to abrupt changes of temperature or engine vibrations.

Signs of water pump defectiveness are knocking, rattling and screeching from under the bonnet and leakage of cooling liquid. Lowering of its level in the expansion tank will be indicated by the special control lamp. Moreover, quite often smell of antifreeze is noticeable in the cabin, and its traces can be visible under the car on the ground.

Replacement of the car water pump is performed at a service station as it presupposes removal of auxiliary equipment elements, and in most cases – the timing mechanism belt. Moreover access to the component can be troubled in some cars. It is advisable to fill new cooling liquid after installation of the water pump.

How to select water pump

The pumps differ by impeller production material. Thus there are cast iron, steel and plastic elements. The parts made of cast iron have higher corrosion resistance. The plastic parts are popular due to their plasticity. The steel impellers are more common: they are cheap in production and reliable in operation.

Durability of the water pumps greatly depends on their manufacturers. High-quality products are presented in the assortment of Aisin, Airtex, Magneti Marelli, Hella, Ruville, Valeo, Triscan and others. Wear-resistant auxiliary water pumps are produced under some of the brands noted above. These components significantly increase efficiency of cooling liquid circulation.

The automotive water pumps also vary from one another by the drive type. There are parts which are driven with the help of the V belt or V-ribbed alternator belt and the components with toothed drive (from the timing belt or chain).

During purchasing it is important to take into account operation mode of the pump, its constructional features, quantity of mounting holes and diameter of the impeller, shape and thickness of its blades. Be advised that the water pumps can be sold in a kit with a seal ring and drive pulley, as well as without them. In order to purchase guaranteedly compatible part consider the brand, model, production year of the car and its engine characteristics.